“In the 1990s, car makers General Motors and Toyota leased such cars out – then destroyed them as they grew in popularity.”

Well, yeah, I see what you’re talking about there, but I have a 55-gallon drum of nuance to dump on that quote. Or, rather, had, as the cold light of day reveals the above zinger done went poof down the memory hole – you can’t find it at SFGate anymore so it must have been edited out recently. Moving on…

Oh, here’s another:

“…turned the fancy key that started the Leaf’s quiet engine.”

Uh, the Leaf doesn’t have an engine, right? Isn’t that the whole point? Now, the upcoming GM Volt has an engine, and a couple of big motors and a bunch of small ones to boot probably, but the Leaf, she has no engines. And turning the key doesn’t “start” the Leaf’s (primary) motor neither. Oh well. It is quiet though. Very very qwiet. (And I won’t even get into whether “the plug” is on the car or in your garage back at home…)

Anyway, it’s refreshing to see an electric car program get developed by a crew not dominated by egomaniacal crooks, thieves, and charlatans.

As promised, furries in Civic Center:

Click to expand

Quite a wintry scene with an Arctic White Nissan, a polar furry and the Great Christmas Tree of Civic Center: